Mutts Finally Break Into Dog Shows

The purebred Labradors, spaniels and collies of the dog-show world have a new rival: mutts. The American Kennel Club has changed its rules after 125 years to allow mixed breeds to compete in some events for the first time ever. At a dog show in Virginia this weekend, Otis, the product of an "illicit tryst between a purebred husky and a rakish Lab-chow neighbor dog," took third place in a "Rally" obedience event, the Washington Post reports.

Such performances have purebred owners nervous about the competitive advantages mutts might bring. For an organization long devoted to purebreds, acceptance of other dogs comes hard. Unable to utter the word "mutt," club officials euphemistically call mixed breeds "All Americans," and they're only allowed to compete in skill-based events, not beauty contests.
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